Quick Family Meals For A Busy Season
I always like to have a group of easy recipes ready for when our family gets crazy and I can barely function with the schedule. It doesn’t seem to matter how hard you try be prepared a list comes home with more things to make for school or sports activities not to mention the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The first thing that ends up at the bottom of the list is dinner. I seems easier to buy fast food than to run home and make a meal. So I need my recipes ready and to solve this problem this year. The following are somewhat healthy and easy to prepare and reheat.
Tacos
I like to start the week with Tacos because i am able to cook the meat and cut up the tomatoes, grate cheese, chop onions , tear lettuce and even cook rice ahead of time.I make sure I cook enough ground beef to have leftover meat for cheesey Taco sticks later in the week.Serve
with salsa and sour cream and you have a hearty easy meal.
Cheesy Taco Sticks
You can use the rest of the taco meat later in the week with these Cheesy Taco Sticks.
They are made with a packet of pizza crust, cheese sticks and taco meat. Utilize the remaining sour cream and salsa and you have another meal. These are easy to assemble and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. They are a quick but healthy finger food.
This recipe is from I Wash You Dry. Hopefully your week is looking brighter as your meals come together.
Chicken Corn Soup
This is a basic soup that is great for Fall weather and heats up well. I have been eating this soup since I was little. It has chunks of chicken and corn in it then I make rice or noodles to add to the soup when eating a bowl so it is more filling.If you add the noodles or rice ahead of time it soaks up the broth and will leave you with little broth. I have had this soup when visiting in Pennsylvania and it is a Pennsylvania Dutch Soup. I sometimes make it the exact way as stated in the attached recipe by Just a Pinch or I do a quicker version without the egg and use my noodles or rice. It does not matter which recipe you use it is a delicious soup that heats up well.The Pennsylvania Dutch eat it with butter bread or jelly bread.
Meatball Sliders
It is super easy to make a batch of homemade meatballs without adding the sauce until you are ready to bake. Make your own batch of meatballs ( if you don’t have your own meatball recipe here is a good one by Slick Housewives). After baking these store in an airtight container without the sauce for a night of Meatball Sliders. Recipe from Home Made Interest. These meatball sliders cooked on a pack of small dinner rolls with, sauce and mozzarella cheese are delicious. I usually serve this with my favorite frozen pizza for a hearty meal that can be baked in the oven at the same time.
English Muffin Pizza
This one is easy and a recipe that will please your children. Open a whole pack of English Muffins and place open on a cookie sheet. Cover each half of muffin with pizza sauce, grated mozzarella cheese and your families favorite toppings. Broil until cheese is melted and slightly brown. This dinner is fast and a favorite. Fun way to get the job done is to have each of your children make their own and place on the cookie sheet.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Rice
I enjoy using my crockpot for one pot meals and this Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Rice served over rice is amazing. It makes a great gravy and you can easily add carrots so you have a veggie also. Just put the beef tips in with a few other ingredients and put the lid on, set to cook.
When you arrive home make some quick rice and dinner is served. Also for an easy clean up use a crockpot liner. I have tried this recipe with several different veggies included the original recipe is by Southern Bite.
Chicken Biscuits Casserole
I find having some go to casseroles that involve either. shredded chicken I have cooked and froze in the freezer or picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store, makes my life easier. This recipe is made in a 13×9” pan with chicken, cheese,pimento and topped with your choice of biscuit. It cooks for about 30 min and then I like to drizzle some melted butter over the biscuits and serve. One pan clean up that tastes like you have been cooking all day. This recipe is by
Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
This is as easy as it sounds and quick for a fast meal right after soccer practice when everyone is starving.Cook any type of pasta in a large pot. While pasta is cooking heat up store bought alfredo sauce and take out a large bag of frozen broccoli. When the pasta is done I use the hot water to then heat up the frozen broccoli. When pasta is drained place it in a large serving bowl and pour sauce over top and fold together. Add broccoli on top when it is done cooking. Serve with warm bread and you have a complete meal.
Fantastic Taco Casserole
I know, I am back to taco flavored dinners, but my kids love that taco flavor. This taco casserole is easy to make and heats up very well. I heat it up a piece at a time after the original baking.
I make it at night and bake it then use it the next night for dinner. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and extra taco sauce. My children always clean their plate. This recipe is by FOOD and you might want to make 2 pans.
Chicken Fajita Pasta
This is a one pot skillet dish bursting with flavors. I cut my chicken and veggies up the night before and store in separate dishes. When you arrive home heat some oil in your skillet, season the chicken as directed and start to cook. Then your peppers, onions and garlic cook in the same pan.The chicken and pepper mixture is placed to the side and then use the same pan with chicken broth and cream to cook the pasta noodles. When the noodles are done all the ingredients go back in the pan and you stir. One pot dinner in under 30 minutes with a great fajita flavor. This recipe is by Kevin and Amanda and I use it regularly.
Cheese Quesadilla
Easy Cheese Quesadillas make my family happy when they are really hungry and we need to feed everyone quickly. I use this simple basic recipe from Recipe Treasure to get started.As additions i like to have refried beans, onions and tomato cut up. I have my family members line up next to me at the stove and make them as they order their favorite. I found the lightly buttered tortilla adds a nice flavor and you don’t have to worry about them sticking to the pan.
Serve with sour cream and salsa. One pan clean up for the night.
Impossibly Easy Chicken and Broccoli Pie
I recommend this because it is simple to make and heats up to still have a delightful taste.
The other reason I make it is because it makes its own crust and my kids love it. The bisquick is what makes the crust and chicken cheesey broccoli on the top never goes wrong. It is made with 2 eggs like a quiche but certainly not quiche consistency.This recipe is made by Betty Crocker and is great as is. I sometimes make a mixture of bisquick, cheese, garlic powder and butter to make crumb topping that is tasty as it brown on top of the casserole.
BBQ Chicken Nachos
If you say NACHOS in my house, you better be cooking them at the same time. This is a favorite with everyone. I cook some chicken and shred it adding our favorite bbq sauce and allow it to marinate in a bowl. When you are ready for dinner, place a layer of doritos chips on a cookie sheet, zap the chicken in the microwave and pour over the doritos, add a topping of doritos and then cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 oven until cheese is melted and a little brown. Then top with chopped onion, chopped tomato and any other nacho topping you like. It is a one pan meal and makes for easy clean up and my kids love finger food.
Healthy Cinnamon Banana Pancakes
Breakfast for dinner is always a hit in my house and these pancakes only have 3 ingredients.
It is a good idea to make these when your bananas are starting to turn brown and you want to use them up. This recipe by the Seasoned Mom and only requires bananas, eggs and cinnamon. So you probably have everything at home already. Before I start to prepare the batter I start cooking a pan of breakfast sausage to make the meal a little heartier. I make a double batch of pancakes because they are delicious and disappear fast also the pancakes store well and may be reheated in the microwave. I offer maple syrup to dip them in or melt a little bowl of peanut butter in the microwave to drizzle on them.
Lazy Crockpot Lasagna
This one pot wonder is easy, healthy and delicious. It is creative by using spinach/cheese ravioli
to layer with browned hamburge, your favorite marinara sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.
That means no making a cheesy ricotta cheese mess in another bowl before making your layers and it has the noodle part all built in. i put this in the crockpot first thing in the morning and we are ready to eat when we walk in the door at night. Add some garlic bread and a salad if desired but you have the spinach as a veggie. This recipe is by Spend With Pennies.
Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips
The chicken strips take about 30 minutes to cook after they are coated. I try to have my chicken strips already cut and the shaker bags ready so I can go from one bag to another and put them in the oven to bake.The strips are good dipped in ketchup of bbq sauce. A quick go to salad while the chicken strips are cooking works really well or a baked potato bar is easy to set up.
I have found that 2-3 chicken strips per person works well. This recipe is by Tasty Jr Recipes
And I make them all the all the time. They are even good if you freeze them after baking and
Cook them like frozen chicken strips in the oven.
Garlic Bread Pasta
Everyone i know loves garlic bread with their meal so I could not imagine a dish that tasted like garlic bread would not be a big hit. This recipe only takes as long as it takes to boil pasta until it is done. You are browning butter and garlicky bread crumbs in a skillet while your pasta cooks.
When the pasta is done you pour this garlicky bread crumb coating on top the pasta. That is it,
A garlic bread tasting pasta in every bite. Easy clean up and happy family. This was created by
Mantitelment and I am so glad he invented this easy recipe.
Crockpot Pizza Casserole
This recipe provides 2 options to how it is cooked.You can cook the pasta and brown the hamburger and then put it in a 13x 9” pan to bake or put it in the crockpot and let it cook for the day with the cheese and pepperoni. I have made it both ways and it is great. Usually I put it in the crockpot so it is ready when we come home at the end of the day. Any leftovers are great heated up at the end of the week. This recipe is by The Cards We Drew and is worth making instead of Pizza.
Homemade Hot Ham and Cheese
It works best for me to make these on a Sunday night and then freeze them. They taste better than Hot Pockets and you will know every ingredient in them. This recipe calls for making your own dough with yeast involved. I love to cook but usually steer away from using yeast because I always thought it would be a flop. I was wrong, this dough is easy to make for pizza or hot ham and cheese. Just follow the directions and your dough will be perfect every time! I make a double batch of these because my children love them. There is nothing like coming home and popping a few of these in the microwave for an easy dinner.This great recipe is by Sally’s Baking Addicttion.
Crock Pot Kid Friendly Turkey Chili
This recipe is not spicy and does not have beans in it. My whole family loves it made with corn
Instead of beans and using hot sauce to make it just the right amount of spice on their own. This is easy to brown the ground turkey and put ll ingredients in the crock pot. It smells great when you come home and is ready to eat. I serve this with shredded sharp cheese, sour cream and avocado slices. My family likes eating it with corn chips on the side or crunched on top.This recipe is by Skinny Taste and I have been making it for years.
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